The Psychology Of Stereotyping

The first comprehensive treatment of stereotypes and stereotyping, this text synthesizes a vast body of social and cognitive research that has emerged over the past-quarter century. Provided is an unusually broad analysis of stereotypes as products both of individual cognitive activities and of social and cultural forces. While devoting careful attention to harmful aspects of stereotypes, their connections to prejudice and discrimination, and effective strategies for countering them, the volume also examines the positive functions of generalizations in helping people navigate a complex world. Unique features include four chapters addressing the content of stereotypes, which consider such topics as why certain traits are the focus of stereotyping and how they become attributed to particular groups. An outstanding text for advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses, the volume is highly readable and features many useful examples.

This volume presents a contemporary and comprehensive overview of the great diversity of theoretical interests, new ideas, and practical applications that characterize social psychological approaches to stereotyping and prejudice. All the contributions are written by renowned scholars in the field, with some chapters focusing on fundamental principles, including research questions about the brain structures that help us categorize and judge others, the role of evolution in prejudice, and how prejudice relates to language, communication, and social norms. Several chapters review a new dimension that has frequently been understudied—the role of the social context in creating stereotypes and prejudice. Another set of chapters focuses on applications, particularly how stereotypes and prejudice really matter in everyday life. These chapters include studies of their impact on academic performance, their role in small group processes, and their influence on everyday social interactions. The volume provides an essential resource for students, instructors, and researchers in social and personality psychology, and is also an invaluable reference for academics and professionals in related fields who have an interest in the origins and effects of stereotyping and prejudice.

Following a broad overview that defines stereotypes, the book addresses how they are formed and developed in chapters that cover the social psychology of stereotypes, the impact of physical appearance on their formation, and methods of assessing their accuracy. Internationally renowned authors consider the function and use of stereotypes, exploring their complex interrelationship with linguistic biases, prejudice and discrimination, and intergroup and interpersonal perception. Chapters then discuss how stereotypes can be undermined, detailing social psychological interventions to improve intergroup relations and examining ways that individual targets of stereotyping might motivate others to change. A concluding chapter takes a historical view of stereotype research, tracing the evolution of the field and evaluating current theories and methodologies

Stereotyping - the process of perceiving and reacting to people in terms of their group membership - is a widespread phenomenon, and one of the most widely investigated topics in social psychology. This new book is about the causes and consequences of stereotyping. It begins from the premise that, in order to understand the nature and function of stereotyping, it is essential to understand its role in, and relationship to, the activities of social groups. In so doing, it provides an alternative to more cognitive approaches that regard stereotyping primarily as a bias produced by the limits of individual information processing. The contributors debate and challenge a range of traditional beliefs about stereotyping by exploring its social functions in intergroup contexts. They also tackle a range of thorny problems in sterotyping and related literatures: including the question of sterotype accuracy, why stereotypes develop and are widely shared, and how stereotypes and sterotyping impact upon people's self-esteem and self-definition. In short, this book examines how stereotypes are structured by social identities and the relations between groups.

Stereotypes and the Construction of the Social World explores the complexity of stereotypes, guiding the reader through issues of definition and theoretical explanations from psychology and other disciplines. The book examines why people use stereotypes, which have often been represented as inaccurate, rigid and discriminatory. If that is what they are, then why would people employ such ‘faulty’ or ‘biased’ views of others? Whilst this book presents a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the psychological research into the individual use of stereotypes, it also presents this research within its ideological and historical context, revealing the important sociocultural factors in what we mean by ‘stereotypes’. From the politics of representation and inter-group power relations, alongside individual social cognitive issues, the book provides a comprehensive and cross-disciplinary account of stereotypes and stereotyping. Featuring a wealth of real-world examples, it will be essential reading for all students and researchers of stereotypes.

The updated Third Edition of this best seller presents a highly readable examination of diversity from a unique psychological perspective to teach students how to understand social and cultural differences in today’s society. By exploring how individuals construct their view of social diversity and how they are defined and influenced by it, author B. Evan Blaine and new coauthor Kimberly J. McClure Brenchley present all that psychology has to offer on this critically important topic. The new edition features chapters on traditional topics such as categorization, stereotypes, sexism, racism, and sexual prejudice, in addition to chapters on nontraditional diversity topics such as weightism, ageism, and social stigma. Integrated throughout the text are applications of these topics to timely social issues.

A stereotype is a commonly held public belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. This book presents current research in the study of stereotypes, including speech pathologists stereotyping stutterers; stereotype formation in children; the social neuroscience research applied to the study of stereotypes; Western societies' ageism stereotyping in the workforce; gender relationship portrayal in sport advertisements perpetuate sexist stereotyping; the psychological implications of stereotyping American Indians through the use of native-themed mascots, nicknames and logos; as well as when stereotypes become life-threatening.

Stereotypes as Explanations explores the way that people develop impressions and views of social groups.